Tiger Disco Fire: French, British Named As Probable Victims

[Lite Beer]

Tiger Disco fire: French, British named as probable victims

Phuket Gazette –

Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation workers transfer the remains of one of the four victims of the Tiger Disco fire. The bodies are now at the Royal Thai Police Institute of Forensic Medicine where all tests for identification will be carried out. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

A Frenchman faces the grisly prospect that his friend may be one of the four who died in the fire. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: Patong Police Superintendent Jirapat Phochanaphan this afternoon confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that police were now investigating at least three more missing persons now suspected of being victims of the Tiger Discotheque fire that killed four people early Friday morning.

“Police are investigating four people named as missing. We will ask for DNA samples to be provided so they can be sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Bangkok for verification,” Col Jirapat told the Gazette.

Of the three “new” missing persons being investigated, he identified one as a Frenchman named “Emmanuel”.

The Frenchman became a suspected victim of the fire after a friend said he recognized a watch still on one of the bodies on Friday.

One of the other new suspected victims is believed to have been British. Police are expected to release the man’s name later today.

Two Thais being investigated as suspected victims were named as Duangporn Butkor, 32, and Nipharat Sutthasorn, 36, from Nong Bua Lumphu, near Udon Thani.

Atthapol Butkor told police that his sister, Ms Duangporn, had been missing since Friday.

She worked for a hotel in Patong and on that night she took hotel guests to Tiger Disco, so he thought she might be one of the victims of the fire, he said.

However, after inspecting the bodies, he could not positively identify his sister’s remains among them.

“She usually wore two rings on the same finger, but after checking the bodies I could see only one ring on the correct finger, so I am not sure,” he said.

Ms Nipharat became a suspected victim after a female friend reported that Nipharat went to Tiger Disco on the night of the fire. She has not been seen since.

Police believe at least one of the victims was female or a transgender person as they found silicone implants under the breasts.

The friend asked to see that body in particular, but found she was unable to make a positive identification.

News of the “new” suspected victims follows a female Thai staffer who worked at Tiger Disco reporting on Friday that she identified a watch and a bracelet found on one of the bodies.

However, she too was unable to make a positive identification.

All four of the bodies found in the aftermath of the fire have now been transferred from Patong Hospital to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Bangkok, where any tests for identification will take place.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2012/Tiger-Disco-fire-French-British-named-as-probable-victims-16702.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-08-19

[theajarn]

Very grim. RIP to the victims and pray this stuff happens less frequently... better not at all.

Whenever I go to clubs these days, the first thing I look for is the fire exit, or at least I plan my escape in case of emergencies like this. I learned all the way back in 1996 in the Philippines when they had the Ozone Disco fire. Since then I've never failed to check the exits... and if one didn't have any I just told my friends to go elsewhere. If they didn't, I'd tell em what they're risking, ask them again, and if still unsuccessful, I tell em "stuff this" and take a walk outside (they usually follow soon after).

[ThaiSold]

If a fire starts on the ground level at Spicy Chiang Mai it won't be 4 victims it'll be 40 fact is most clubs in Thailand are death traps if a fire breaks out RIP to these guys who didn't make it out in time.

[george]

Police: Four bodies recovered from Phuket pub fire are two Asian females and two Causasian males, identification in process. /MCOT

[Lite Beer]

Tiger Disco fire: British man appeals to find lost brother

Phuket Gazette –

Joseph Tzouvanni, who flew from London to Phuket to find his brother, makes an emotional plea to find Michael. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Michael Pio Tzouvanni, 24, was known to be at Tiger Disco on Soi Bangla, Patong, when the deadly fire broke out at about 4am. Photo: Handout image

PHUKET: A British man today held a public appeal to find his brother, who was last known to be at Tiger Discotheque at the time the deadly fire broke out at about 4am on Friday.

With tears in his eyes, Joseph Tzouvanni, 26, told the press in Phuket that his brother, Michael Pio Tzouvanni, 24, had not been heard from since the night of the fire.

“He has been missing for three days now. I’ve been busy checking everywhere to find him – the prison, the police, hotels – as he could be anywhere. Anyone who can help [let me know] where he is, [or] please contact the British Embassy,” he said.

Mr Tzouvanni, who flew from London to find his brother, explained, “Michael called his friend at 4am at the Tiger Discotheque on the day of the fire… I don’t know what he talked about with his friend.”

He added that Michael’s belongings were still at the Sand Inn hotel, where he was staying.

“He had already stayed in Phuket for 10 days and he extended [his stay] another four days as he loves Phuket. He always comes to Phuket, especially Soi Bangla.

“We love him and we need to find him. We have five brothers one sister. As soon as we found out that Michael had disappeared, I decided by my own to come here.

“He is on Bangla every day. He’s probably just missing as we hope, but if anyone sees him around, please contact the police. Please help me find Michael,” he added.

Mr Tzouvanni described Michael as about 5 feet 7 inches tall, slim and a “smiley person”.

“He’s got a ring on his left little finger, and he is a construction developer in England,” he said.

Capt Urumporn Koondejsumrit of the Tourist Police explained that Michael was scheduled to fly out of Phuket at about 4pm today.

“Joseph has already inspected the bodies [of the four victims recovered from the fire], but he could not identify any of them as [Michael],” he said.

“We will send Michael’s toothbrush and a sample of Joseph’s DNA to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Police General Hospital [in Bangkok] today," he added.

In late-breaking news this afternoon, senior investigators at the Royal Thai Police Institute of Forensic Medicine announced at a press conference in Bangkok that preliminary tests indicated that the four bodies were of “two men and two women” and “two Caucasians and two Asians”.

However, the forensics officers did not reveal any further details.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16703.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-08-19

[pointoffew]

Police believe at least one of the victims was female or a transgender person as they found silicone implants under the breasts.

So Police have narrowed the victim down to be either a man or a woman. Genius.

It may be convenient to make such comments, but it's not correct, because after the surgery, a transgender (male > female) is a (sterile or infertile) female for medical and legal reasons..

[skorchio]

I hope the 4 bodies so far recovered are the only victims. I also hope the premises has been extremely thoroughly sifted through. Dreadful situation if there is (are) another corpse in among the debris ... I am giving the benefit of the doubt here to investigators in assuming the 4 bodies are the only 4 who perished in this tragic blaze.

[fish fingers]

They really need to clean up phuket, its all bribery and corruption. The reason for the blaze won't be released til tomorrow for just that reason, so they can sort the money out first.

Edited August 19, 2012 by fish fingers

[Lingba]

I hope the 4 bodies so far recovered are the only victims. I also hope the premises has been extremely thoroughly sifted through. Dreadful situation if there is (are) another corpse in among the debris ... I am giving the benefit of the doubt here to investigators in assuming the 4 bodies are the only 4 who perished in this tragic blaze.

I'm down here in Phuket...over the past day or so, there seems to be a growing number of doubts as to whether the number 4 is actually an accurate count...people who were in the pub say that the number could just well be higher and that the actual numbers aren't being released yet since "officials" don't want the global media attention so things are being suppressed...I don't know how true this is but its been the latest chatter

[NomadJoe]

I have been in that club3 or 4 times and I vividly recall thinking about the fire danger especially after the Santika disaster. You would think they would have tightened up on regulations after that..wait what am I thinking.TIT.

[animatic]

Police believe at least one of the victims was female or a transgender person as they found silicone implants under the breasts.

So Police have narrowed the victim down to be either a man or a woman. Genius.

It may be convenient to make such comments, but it's not correct, because after the surgery, a transgender (male > female) is a (sterile or infertile) female for medical and legal reasons..

The Thais have yet to adapt the law to the medical reality here,

so new tits and the chop below would still legally be male.

RIP to them regardless of gender.

Edited August 19, 2012 by animatic

[Alfahane]

I left Tiger that night about 30-60 minutes before the fire. It was a relatively slow night for TIger. I'd say abou 60% of what of avarage night. Almost no crowding. This could have been so much worse.

Next death trap in Bangla is Hollywood. Always crowded. Always difficult to move around.

[blackthorn2005]

I left Tiger that night about 30-60 minutes before the fire. It was a relatively slow night for TIger. I'd say abou 60% of what of avarage night. Almost no crowding. This could have been so much worse.

Next death trap in Bangla is Hollywood. Always crowded. Always difficult to move around.

Like most clubs in Patong, Hollywood is easy to get into but should a problem arise, difficult to get out of. I wonder if the fire officers have recently reviewed, the other establishments arrangements.

[Crossy]

An inappropriate post and the (entirely appropriate) responses to it have been removed.

[johnlandy]

I hope the 4 bodies so far recovered are the only victims. I also hope the premises has been extremely thoroughly sifted through. Dreadful situation if there is (are) another corpse in among the debris ... I am giving the benefit of the doubt here to investigators in assuming the 4 bodies are the only 4 who perished in this tragic blaze.

I am giving the benefit of the doubt here to investigators That would be the very last thing I would do TiT after all.

[buds189]

dam_n shame

[asiawatcher]

No deaths are acceptable as statistics but after Santika this at least (at this point) appears minimal. Let's hope it remains such. Wonder why there have been no comments or interviews by the owner or the lessees? Like Santika, I doubt anything will happen and in time, blow away into dust - as always.

[mrtoad]

Nothing will be followed up,information will be buried or tampered. The lightening strike suits the story as its an act of god. Condolences to the families, but they have about as much chance of finding out the truth, and it being acted upon as snow in Patong.

[skorchio]

I hope the 4 bodies so far recovered are the only victims. I also hope the premises has been extremely thoroughly sifted through. Dreadful situation if there is (are) another corpse in among the debris ... I am giving the benefit of the doubt here to investigators in assuming the 4 bodies are the only 4 who perished in this tragic blaze.

I'm down here in Phuket...over the past day or so, there seems to be a growing number of doubts as to whether the number 4 is actually an accurate count...people who were in the pub say that the number could just well be higher and that the actual numbers aren't being released yet since "officials" don't want the global media attention so things are being suppressed...I don't know how true this is but its been the latest chatter

Thats exactly what I am getting at - if there are 7 or more missing persons, yet 4 bodies .......

[nikkoid66]

What is the problem in Phuket? Every week we hear something horrible happen and farang lost their life. Millions of people visit Paris, London, or Tunis, or even Pattaya and we do not read so many horrible news.

Thailand must clean up Phuket or it will become a real thread to the tourism and the loss in tourism will be bigger than the money made by the local mafias...

BK need to step up, and send police to control that every place is safe. Embassies should ask tour to avoid Phuket until the order and law is restored.

Nikko ( http://fb.com/gopattaya )

[webfact]

Update

Missing man called his brother as pub burned

The Nation

PHUKET: -- A Westerner missing in Phuket may have perished in this week's Tiger Discotheque fire, the brother of a British man who made desperate phone calls from the pub to tell him and his friends that he loved them told a press conference yesterday.

Speaking tearfully at the session, Joseph Suvalni 26, said his brother Michael, 24, called him at around 10pm London time last Friday to say: "I am at the Tiger, which is now on fire. I love everyone."

"The signal was then gone, but I did not hear any screaming or commotion from the other side during the phone conversation. I have prayed all along that nothing bad has happened to him," Suvalni said.

The badly charred bodies of all four fatalities in the fire were sent to Bangkok for DNA collection before Joseph Suvalni arrived in Phuket yesterday morning. Police led him to inspect a room at the Sands Inn in Khathoo district where Michael checked in, and found all of his belongings. Michael, a construction worker, was due to depart Thailand yesterday.

In a photo identification with Khathoo police prior to the press conference, Joseph could not positively identify the ring worn on a finger of one of the bodies seen in evidence photos.

Four missing-person complaints have been lodged with Khathoo police since the Tiger Discotheque fire, which killed four people and injured 11 others, two seriously. The four cases involve Niphawat Sudson, 36, a Nong Bua Lamphu native: Duangphorn Butkhlor, 32, a Nakhon Ratchasima native: an unidentified French national; and Michael Suvalni.

A deputy national police chief, Pol Lt-General Jaramphorn Suramanee, said the four victims succumbed to suffocation before their bodies were burned, citing initial autopsy results. He said identification of the bodies must be done through DNA verification and examination of clothing, birthmarks or tattoos by people who knew the victims.

His information that two of the bodies were likely of Asian women and two others appeared to belong to two Western males were consistent with the four missing-person complaints received by Khathoo police.

Meanwhile, the chief of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA)'s Patong office on Saturday refuted allegations that the Tiger Discotheque fire was caused by an exploding transformer, as claimed by a lawyer representing a firm that runs the venue.

In a Phuket Gazette online article, Atipong Thongyon told the press, "We have checked the transformer and it is operating normally. Another transformer, belonging to Tiger Discotheque, is also working normally." He explained that the PEA transformer for the section of Soi Bangla where Tiger Discotheque is located is about 50 metres from and on the same side of the road as the popular night club.

The transformer is rated at 250kVA (250,000 volt amps), which is suitable for housing and small businesses, said Atipong. "Tiger's transformer is rated 400kVA, which is suitable for a big entertainment venue," Atipong explained. "Both of the transformers are fine."

-- The Nation 2012-08-20

[jacko45k]

Police believe at least one of the victims was female or a transgender person as they found silicone implants under the breasts.

So Police have narrowed the victim down to be either a man or a woman. Genius.

It may be convenient to make such comments, but it's not correct, because after the surgery, a transgender (male > female) is a (sterile or infertile) female for medical and legal reasons..

You think the fire removed such evidence?

[Jimjim]

No deaths are acceptable as statistics but after Santika this at least (at this point) appears minimal. Let's hope it remains such. Wonder why there have been no comments or interviews by the owner or the lessees? Like Santika, I doubt anything will happen and in time, blow away into dust - as always.

But the Santika issue didn't blow away into dust. About two years later, the owner and one other person were sentenced to three years in prison.

But I know it doesn't fit your "This is Thailand" attempt to complain about life here.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Jimjim

[belg]

and that is one of the reasons they will never find me overthere, dead traps if anything goes wrong... so many examples

[moskito]

Police believe at least one of the victims was female or a transgender person as they found silicone implants under the breasts.

So Police have narrowed the victim down to be either a man or a woman. Genius.

It may be convenient to make such comments, but it's not correct, because after the surgery, a transgender (male > female) is a (sterile or infertile) female for medical and legal reasons..

there are a lot of things not "correct" or just bothering.... Now we know, thx to the Phuket Gazette, the full name of someone who is looking for his brother...thats great, thanks for this very important information. BUT we still dont know WHY the fire broke out, WHY there are victims (Emergency Exits?) and what really happend...

All we know so far is, It was an exploding transformer.....which is still working after the reports here in TV....and there are some unidentified victims.... so i hope we will get more information after nearly a week....and btw, not only Transgenders, better known as Kathoys are having Silicon implanted....

however, may the victims rest in peace, my condolences to their family and friends

[moskito]

I hope the 4 bodies so far recovered are the only victims. I also hope the premises has been extremely thoroughly sifted through. Dreadful situation if there is (are) another corpse in among the debris ... I am giving the benefit of the doubt here to investigators in assuming the 4 bodies are the only 4 who perished in this tragic blaze.

I'm down here in Phuket...over the past day or so, there seems to be a growing number of doubts as to whether the number 4 is actually an accurate count...people who were in the pub say that the number could just well be higher and that the actual numbers aren't being released yet since "officials" don't want the global media attention so things are being suppressed...I don't know how true this is but its been the latest chatter

Thx for this post, it just reminds me of the numbers we have heard after the Tsunami some years ago striked on the westcoast of Thailand....I was driving from Phuket to Ranong in the North two days later and stopped very often....we heard numbers of dead or missing peoples or whole villages gone all the way up....I dont belive the numbers the officials let us know until today...but does it really matter if it was 5000 or 15000? What concerns me in this case here is we have too little information about everything until now.

[Trentham]

If there is a fire at DJ Station in Silom there will be 100 deaths.

[webfact]

Update:

Two Asian females, two Caucasian males killed in Phuket pub fire

BANGKOK, Aug 20 – The charred bodies of four persons recovered from Tiger Discotheque fire in the southern province of Phuket are likely to be those of two Asian females and two Caucasian males, according to a senior police officer.

Assistant National Police Chief Pol Lt-Gen Charamporn Suramanee said their identifications would be known in one to two days.

Gen Charamporn told reporters that the forensic examination showed that all four died from smoke inhalation and their bodies were burned beyond recognition so that the forensic investigation was necessary to identify the fire victims, in a process similar to that used to identify tsunami victims in Thailand in 2004.

He said that according to the initial investigation the four victims were two Asian females and two Caucasians males. The belongings collected from the bodies such as necklaces, bracelets, clothes, brassiere frames, mobile phones, belts, and underwear were useful in helping to identify the victims.

Police collected more evidence at the rooms of persons reportedly missing and suspected to have been killed in the fire, he said, adding that their identity would be known in another one of two days.

Gen Charamporn said that the cause of the fire is under investigation but initially believed that the fire began on the second floor of the entertainment venue.

Meanwhile, Phuket provincial police forensic inspector Pol Col Kittisak Noopheung said that DNA samples have been collected from relatives of the four who were reported missing and the authorities are awaiting test results to compare DNA from bodies of the victims.

The process was expected to take two days.

Four persons were killed in the fire that raged through the Tiger Discotheque in Patong, Phuket last Friday, while 11 were injured. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-08-20

[paymaster]

What is the problem in Phuket? Every week we hear something horrible happen and farang lost their life. Millions of people visit Paris, London, or Tunis, or even Pattaya and we do not read so many horrible news.

Thailand must clean up Phuket or it will become a real thread to the tourism and the loss in tourism will be bigger than the money made by the local mafias...

BK need to step up, and send police to control that every place is safe. Embassies should ask tour to avoid Phuket until the order and law is restored.

Nikko ( http://fb.com/gopattaya )

Last year I had a couple of friends visit Thailand. I took them around Bangkok and visited Kancanaburi and Pattaya for a few days. So impressed was one of my friends that he immediately started planning to bring his wife and children back and chose a resort in Phuket. I have just spoken to him on the phone after his return home from Phuket. He said he would never return to Phuket. Whilst the resort was wonderful he had felt threatened on several occasions by aggressive hawkers and tuk tuk drivers. He said he was glad to get out of the place. These people have destroyed what should be a tourists gem. Edited August 20, 2012 by paymaster

[smotherb]

Police believe at least one of the victims was female or a transgender person as they found silicone implants under the breasts.

So Police have narrowed the victim down to be either a man or a woman. Genius.

It may be convenient to make such comments, but it's not correct, because after the surgery, a transgender (male > female) is a (sterile or infertile) female for medical and legal reasons..

Finding silicone implants neither defines the person as transgender, nor female; does it?